THE BIG IDEA
Does your coachee feel safety and certainty with you and the situation? If not, Trust in your coaching relationship suffers.
Quick thought experiment: Look at the following graphic. Do you personally need to focus on building Transparency, Rapport, Empathy, or Appreciation?
TRY THESE TALKING POINTS
To increase empathy, listen actively without judgment.
- Ask clarifying questions: “Are you saying that…?”
- Share your own feelings candidly
- Acknowledge their feelings (without necessarily agreeing): “I can see that you’re frustrated” “It must be hard to…”
To increase appreciation, focus on what’s working
- Say “thank you”
- Provide specific, positive feedback
- Learn what matters to this individual
- Offer meaningful recognition
To increase transparency, express your rationale and externalize your thought process
- Say, “I’m trying to figure out…and right now I’m thinking that…”
- Hold frequent meetings to communicate both what’s known and what’s not known
To increase rapport, learn about his/her goals and interests.
- Share information about your vision of success and long-term direction
- Enjoy relationship-building activities not specifically related to getting work done
